Obama has been accused by the Washington Examiner of “going down the Costco route.”

The three wines served at the dinner – Morlet La Proportion Doree 2011 from the Napa Valley, Chester-Kidder Red Blend 2009 from Washington’s Columbia Valley and sparkling wine Thibaut-Janisson Blanc de Chardonnay from Monticello in Virginia had a combined retail price of just $125. (continues..)

He can't win here - serve expensive wines and get slammed for profligacy, do the opposite and get slammed for meanness.

Correct. He can't win. I just heard today someone complaining on the radio that the recent State Dinners have come in around $400,000 to $500,000 per dinner. That said, I can't believe that Ridge Geyserville, for example, would break the bank and that would be far more interesting. Personally, I would not be opposed to Ridge MB, Montelena Estate Cab (which would have been kinda fun with the French President), etc. but for far less than those you can still find something fun from the US.

The only good thing about the Chester Kidder is that it's a cabernet-syrah blend and therefore a wine that Mr. Hollande would have no reference point for. I can otherwise think of a number of other Washington wines I'd recommend instead, including wines with a bit more age on them. The White House must have a cellar....

My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov

When I occasionally entertain someone from another country, usually in a business setting, I try to provide a good American wine and a good wine from their country of origin. I have done so for visitors from France, Germany, Spain, Portugal and Hungry. They always seem to appreciate the fact that I went to the trouble to source a decent, if not terribly spectacular, wine from their home country. Plus, the company picks up the tab if the wine is not from my cellar - which it often is.

It seems to me that would be good protocol for the White House to follow for state dinners. I know at one time there was a rule that only American wine could be served at such functions, but I thought that requirement had been overturned. I think it would be nice touch.

Sam

"The biggest problem most people have is that they think they shouldn't have any." - Tony Robbins

Well personally, I think Obama should put the names of every American wine in a big hat, pick out the number of wines required, and then pay an averaged price for each one regardless of quality or the effort expended in production for any particular wine. In this way there would be no danger of creating winery income inequality.

Tom V wrote:Well personally, I think Obama should put the names of every American wine in a big hat, pick out the number of wines required, and then pay an averaged price for each one regardless of quality or the effort expended in production for any particular wine. In this way there would be no danger of creating winery income inequality.

If he did that, then the Republicans and Teahadists would have to schedule press conferences to proclaim against such a heinous practice, claim that he's destroying FREEEEEEDOMMMMMM and the capitalist way, somehow or the other defaming our sacred Constitution, insulting our founding fathers, attacking Christianity and promoting Kenyan-Communist Anti-Colonialism. Then they'd have to vote at least forty times to admonish him, followed by impeachment.

They've served Ridge & Montelena before. But this dinner's wines actually had a theme- American wines made by French winemakers/owners. Agree that WH is generally in a no-win situation. $40 bottles are viewed as very expensive by 99% of US population.

Dale Williams wrote:Agree that WH is generally in a no-win situation. $40 bottles are viewed as very expensive by 99% of US population.

I was having this very conversation with Jean at lunch. On what planet is $40 a bottle (FTR, wine-searcher has them at a low price of $65, $42 and $25, respectively) considered "Costco" wine? I think that most US citizens would consider those prices to be quite reasonable for a state dinner.

Dale Williams wrote:Agree that WH is generally in a no-win situation. $40 bottles are viewed as very expensive by 99% of US population.

I was having this very conversation with Jean at lunch. On what planet is $40 a bottle (FTR, wine-searcher has them at a low price of $65, $42 and $25, respectively) considered "Costco" wine? I think that most US citizens would consider those prices to be quite reasonable for a state dinner.

Mark Lipton

No you're wrong, the people you associate with would consider those prices to be quite reasonable because they know what comprises a state dinner in the first place.